Systems and methods for payment for delivery services

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and computer-implemented electronic transaction method includes the operation of reading, via a payment-on-delivery device, a machine-readable transaction code in which transaction details of a collect-on-delivery transaction are encoded. A notification is transmitted to a consumer computing device. In addition, the transaction details are transmitted to the consumer computing device. The apparatus transmits payments details for funding the collect-on-delivery transaction to an interchange network for processing the collect-on-delivery transaction. The apparatus receives a payment authorization response message from the interchange network indicating completion of the collect-on-delivery transaction.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The field of the disclosure relates generally to electronic financialtransactions and, more particularly, to electronic financialtransactions completed upon delivery of payment-on-delivery packageswhen a consumer is not present during delivery.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Conventional payment-on-deliver (POD) or collect-on delivery (COD)transactions involve at least a consumer, a merchant, and a third-partydelivery service. In some instances, the merchant may be the deliveryservice, for example, such as frozen food home delivery services.Generally, the third-party delivery service collects payment for thepurchased goods and/or services at the time and place of delivery onbehalf of the merchant and keeps a portion of the proceeds as paymentfor making the delivery. COD transactions benefit the consumer, as theconsumer is not required to pay for the goods and/or services until thegoods and/or service are delivered.

COD transactions are labor intensive and require the third-partydelivery service to manually collect and/or process the consumer'spayment upon delivery. This is problematic, as the consumer may not bepresent at the time of delivery. In addition, the merchant has noassurance that the consumer will have the cash on hand or be approved bya respective financial institution to make the purchase at the time ofdelivery. This contributes to wasted expenditures associated with thepackaging and shipping of goods, in addition to relying upon thecompletion of a manual transaction, which is inherently error-prone byrequiring human input of, for example, the price of the goods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

This summary is not intended to identify essential features of thepresent invention and is not intended to be used to limit the scope ofthe claims. These and other aspects of the present invention aredescribed below in greater detail.

In one aspect, a computer-implemented electronic transaction method isprovided. The method includes reading, via a payment-on-delivery device,a machine-readable transaction code in which transaction details of acollect-on-delivery transaction are encoded. The method also includestransmitting a notification, via the payment-on-delivery device, to aconsumer computing device, and transmitting the transaction details tothe consumer computing device. Furthermore, the method includestransmitting payment details for funding the collect-on-deliverytransaction to an interchange network for processing thecollect-on-delivery transaction. Moreover, the method includes receivinga payment authorization response message from the interchange networkindicating completion of the collect-on-delivery transaction.

In another aspect, a payment-on-delivery device is provided. Thepayment-on-delivery device includes a photographic element for capturingimage data, a motion sensor for detecting the presence of a person, oneor more wireless communication modules, and a processor communicativelycoupled to the one or more wireless communication modules, thephotographic element, and the motion sensor. The processor is speciallyprogrammed to read, via the photographic element, a machine-readabletransaction code in which transaction details of a collect-on-deliverytransaction are encoded. The processor is also programmed to transmit anotification, via the one or more wireless communication modules, to aconsumer computing device, and transmit the transaction details to theconsumer computing device. Moreover, the processor is programmed toreceive, via the one or more wireless communication modules, a paymentauthorization response message indicating completion of thecollect-on-delivery transaction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below withreference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary payment cardnetwork system including a consumer payment-on-delivery (POD) device inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the consumer POD device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an example configuration of a user system for use with thepayment card network system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an example configuration of a server system for use in thepayment card network system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary access systemincluding the consumer POD device of FIG. 1 in accordance with oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary computer-implementedmethod for ordering products from a merchant and completing a purchasetransaction upon delivery of the products using the consumer POD deviceshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an alternative computer-implementedmethod for ordering products from a merchant and completing a purchasetransaction upon delivery of the products using the consumer POD deviceshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a transaction card account system showingdata flow among the consumer computing device, the consumer POD device,and a merchant processor of the payment card network system shown inFIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a computer-implemented method forunlocking an electronic lock of the access system shown in FIG. 5, aftercompleting a purchase transaction for receipt of a payment-on-deliverypackage.

The figures are not intended to limit the present invention to thespecific embodiments they depict. The drawings are not necessarily toscale. Like numbers in the Figures indicate the same or functionallysimilar components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The following detailed description of embodiments of the inventionreferences the accompanying figures. The embodiments are intended todescribe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable thosewith ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention. Theembodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and notby way of limitation. Other embodiments may be utilized, and changes maybe made without departing from the scope of the claims. The followingdescription is, therefore, not limiting. The scope of the presentinvention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the fullscope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or“embodiments” mean that the feature or features referred to are includedin at least one embodiment of the invention. Separate references to “oneembodiment,” “an embodiment,” or “embodiments” in this description donot necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are not mutuallyexclusive unless so stated. Specifically, a feature, component, action,step, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in otherembodiments but is not necessarily included. Thus, particularimplementations of the present disclosure can include a variety ofcombinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Broadly characterized, the present disclosure relates to systems andmethods for completing electronic transactions for payment-on-delivery(POD) or collect-on-delivery (COD) shipments. More particularly, thedisclosed embodiments provide a system and computer-implemented methodfor completing electronic transactions at a consumer's home when theconsumer may not be present. In one example embodiment, a consumerpayment-on-delivery (POD) device is configured for use with a paymentcard processing network such as, for example, an interchange network.The consumer POD device broadly includes a camera, motion sensor, and aprocessor programmed to communicate with a package carrier's mobiledevice, a consumer's mobile device, and an interchange network tofacilitate processing a COD shipment. The consumer POD device reads amachine-readable transaction code in which transaction details of a CODtransaction are encoded, transmits a notification to the consumercomputing device, and transmits the transaction details to the consumercomputing device. In one embodiment, the consumer transmits paymentdetails back to the consumer POD device. The consumer POD devicetransmits the payment details to the interchange network for processingthe COD transaction. The interchange network transmits a paymentauthorization response message indicating completion of the CODtransaction to the consumer POD device. After receiving the paymentauthorization response message, the consumer POD device transmits apayment completion message to the package carrier mobile device and theconsumer computing device. In another embodiment, the consumer computingdevice transmits payment details to the interchange network forprocessing the COD transaction. The interchange network transmits apayment authorization response message indicating completion of the CODtransaction to the consumer computing device. After receiving thepayment authorization response message, the consumer computing devicetransmits a payment completion message to the consumer POD device.

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary payment cardnetwork system 100 including a consumer payment-on-delivery (POD) device104 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thepayment card network system 100 may be utilized by consumers andmerchants as part of a process of initiating an authorization requestand performing a transaction concurrent with delivery of goods orservices as described herein via an interchange network 112. Inaddition, the payment card network system 100 is a transaction cardaccount system including a consumer computing device 102, which aconsumer 116 may use to conduct electronic transactions and/or recordpayments for electronic transactions related to purchase of a merchant'sgoods or services.

The payment card network system 100 enables payment-by-card transactionsin which merchants 106, acquirers 108, and/or card issuers 110 do notneed to have a one-to-one relationship. The consumer POD device 104 is aspecially programmed computing device that connects to the interchangenetwork 112 to facilitate transactions with merchants 106 at theconsumer's home, selected delivery location, or wherever the consumer116 chooses to receive the merchant's goods or services and complete atransaction upon receipt.

In the example embodiment, the payment card network system 100 generallyincludes the consumer computing device 102, the consumer POD device 104,the merchant 106, the acquirers 108, the issuers 110, and theinterchange network 112 coupled in communication via a communicationsnetwork 114. The network 114 includes, for example and withoutlimitation, one or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN) (e.g., the Internet, etc.), a mobile network, a virtualnetwork, and/or any other suitable public and/or private network capableof facilitating communication among the consumer computing device 102,the consumer POD device 104, the merchants 106, the acquirers 108, theissuers 110, and/or the interchange network 112. In some embodiments,the network 114 may include more than one type of network, such as aprivate payment transaction network provided by the interchange network112 to the acquirers 108 and the issuers 110 and, separately, the publicInternet, which may facilitate communication between the consumer PODdevice 104, the interchange network 112, the acquirers 108, and one ormore consumer computing devices 102, etc.

Embodiments described herein may relate to a transaction card system,such as a credit card payment system using the Mastercard® interchangenetwork. (Mastercard is a registered trademark of MastercardInternational Incorporated.) The Mastercard interchange network is a setof proprietary communications standards promulgated by MastercardInternational Incorporated for the exchange of financial transactiondata and the settlement of funds between financial institutions that aremembers of Mastercard International Incorporated. As used herein,financial transaction data includes a unique account number associatedwith an account holder using a payment card issued by an issuer,purchase data representing a purchase made by the cardholder, includinga type of merchant, amount of purchase, date of purchase, and otherdata, which may be transmitted between any parties of the payment cardnetwork system 100.

In a typical transaction card system, a financial institution called the“issuer” issues a transaction card, such as a credit card, to acardholder or consumer 116, who uses the transaction card to tenderpayment for a purchase from the merchant 106. The consumer 116 may inputinformation from a transaction card into the consumer computing device102 and store the information as digital wallet data 306 (broadly,payment credentials) (shown in FIG. 3). The merchant 106 is typicallyassociated with products, for example, and without limitation, goodsand/or services, that are offered for sale and are sold to the consumer116. The merchant 106 includes, for example, a physical location and/ora virtual location such as an Internet-based store-front.

To accept payment from the consumer 116 with, for example, the digitalwallet data 306, the merchant 106 must normally establish an accountwith a financial institution that is part of the payment card networksystem 100. This financial institution is usually called the “merchantbank,” the “acquiring bank,” or the acquirer 108. When the consumer 116submits payment for a purchase with the consumer computing device 102using the digital wallet data 306, the merchant 106 requestsauthorization from the acquirer 108 for the purchase. In the exemplaryembodiment, the request may be performed using the consumer POD device104 that reads the consumer's account information from the digitalwallet data 306 and communicates electronically with the transactionprocessing computers of the acquirer 108. Alternatively, the acquirer108 may authorize a third party to perform transaction processing on itsbehalf. In this case, the consumer POD device 104 will be configured tocommunicate with the third party. Such a third party is usually called a“merchant processor,” an “acquiring processor,” or a “third partyprocessor.”

Using the interchange network 112, computers of the acquirer 108 ormerchant processor will communicate with computers of the issuer 110 todetermine whether the cardholder's account is in good standing andwhether the purchase is covered by the cardholder's available creditline. Based on these determinations, the request for authorization willbe declined or accepted. If the request is accepted, an authorizationcode is issued to the merchant 106, for example, via the consumer PODdevice 104.

When a request for authorization is accepted, the available credit lineof the cardholder's account is decreased. Normally, a charge for apayment card transaction is not posted immediately to the cardholder'saccount because bankcard associations, such as Mastercard InternationalIncorporated, have promulgated rules that do not allow the merchant 106to charge, or “capture,” a transaction until the purchased goods areshipped or the purchased services are delivered. However, with respectto at least some debit card transactions, a charge may be posted at thetime of the transaction. When the merchant 106 delivers the purchasedproducts, the merchant 106 captures the transaction, for example, byappropriate data entry procedures on a point-of-sale terminal. This mayinclude bundling of approved transactions daily for standard retailpurchases. If the cardholder 116 cancels a transaction before it iscaptured, a “void” is generated. If the cardholder 116 returns goodsafter the transaction has been captured, a “credit” is generated. Theinterchange network 112 and/or the issuer 110 stores the transactioncard information, such as, and without limitation, a type of merchant, amerchant identifier, a location where the transaction was completed, anamount of purchase, and a date and time of the transaction, in atransaction database 134.

After a purchase has been made, a clearing process occurs to transferadditional transaction data related to the purchase among the parties tothe transaction, such as the acquirer 108, the issuer 110, and theinterchange network 112. More specifically, during and/or after theclearing process, additional data, such as a time of purchase, amerchant name, a type of merchant, purchase information, cardholderaccount information, a type of transaction, itinerary information,information regarding the purchased item and/or service, and/or othersuitable information, is associated with a transaction and transmittedbetween parties to the transaction as transaction data, and may bestored by any of the parties to the transaction.

For debit card transactions, when a request for a personalidentification number (PIN) authorization is approved by the issuer 110,the cardholder's account is decreased. Normally, a charge is postedimmediately to the cardholder's account. The interchange network 112transmits the approval to the acquirer 108 for distribution ofgoods/services or information, or cash in the case of an automatedteller machine (ATM).

After a transaction is authorized and cleared, the transaction issettled among the merchant 106, the acquirer 108, and the issuer 110.Settlement refers to the transfer of financial data or funds among themerchant's account, the acquirer 108, and the issuer 110 related to thetransaction. Usually, transactions are captured and accumulated into a“batch,” which is settled as a group. More specifically, a transactionis typically settled between the issuer 110 and the interchange network112, and then between the interchange network 112 and the acquirer 108,and then between the acquirer 108 and the merchant 106.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, in the exemplary embodiment, thepayment card network system 100 includes a package carrier 138 that hasa carrier mobile computing device 146 (e.g., a smartphone or othercomputing device used by the package carrier to complete transactions)on which a carrier application 148 is installed. The carrier mobilecomputing device 146 may communicate with the consumer POD device 104and the network 114, for example, to activate a transaction between theconsumer 116 and the merchant 106, and/or receive electronic paymentfrom the consumer 116. The carrier mobile computing device 146 can beany computing device capable of interconnecting to the Internetincluding a mobile web-based device, smartphone, PDA, or other mobileweb-based connectable equipment. In the example embodiment, the carriermobile computing device 146 is configured to communicate with theconsumer POD device 104 to transmit, for example, transaction data tothe consumer POD device 104. The carrier mobile computing device 146 isconfigured to communicate with the consumer POD device 104 using variousoutputs including, for example, radio frequency communication, nearfield communication (NFC), network-based communication, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the interchange network 112 includes a server system124, which is, for example, and without limitation, a server, a networkof multiple computing devices, a virtual computing device, or the like.In addition, in some embodiments, the payment card network system 100may also include one or more merchant or client sub-systems 130 (alsoreferred to as client systems) coupled in communication to the serversystem 124. The client systems 130 are computers including, for example,a web browser and a memory device, such that the server system 124 isaccessible to the client systems 130 using, for example, the Internet.The client systems 130 are interconnected to the Internet through one ormore interfaces including a network, such as a local area network (LAN)or a wide area network (WAN), dial-in-connections, cable modems, andspecial high-speed ISDN lines. The client systems 130 can be any devicecapable of interconnecting to the Internet including, for example, aweb-based smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or any otherweb-based connectable equipment.

As described above, the payment card network system 100 includes one ormore consumer POD devices 104 that are connected to the server system124, and in some embodiments, may be connected to the client systems130. The consumer POD device(s) 104 is interconnected to the Internetthrough one or more interfaces including a network, such as a local areanetwork (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), dial-in-connections, cablemodems, wireless modems, and special high-speed ISDN lines. The consumerPOD device 104 can be any computing device capable of interconnecting tothe Internet and including an input device capable of readinginformation from a user's financial transaction card, including thedigital wallet data 306.

Furthermore, as described above, the payment card network system 100includes at least one consumer computing device 102 (e.g., a smartphoneor other computing device used by the consumer to completetransactions), which is configured to communicate with the consumer PODdevices 104. In one embodiment, the consumer computing device 102 isassociated with or controlled by a user making a purchase using atransaction card account and the payment card network system 100. Theconsumer computing device 102 may be interconnected to the Internetthrough one or more interfaces including a network, such as a LAN or aWAN, dial-in-connections, cable modems, wireless connections, andspecial high-speed ISDN lines. The consumer computing device 102 can beany computing device capable of interconnecting to the Internetincluding a mobile web-based device, smartphone, PDA, or other mobileweb-based connectable equipment. In the example embodiment, the consumercomputing device 102 is configured to communicate with the consumer PODdevice 104 to transmit, for example, the digital wallet data 306 to theconsumer POD device 104. The consumer computing device 102 is configuredto communicate with the consumer POD device 104 using various outputsincluding, for example, radio frequency communication, near fieldcommunication (NFC), network-based communication, and the like. It iscontemplated that in some suitable embodiments, the consumer POD device104 may be integrated with a consumer computing device 102.

In the example embodiment, the carrier mobile computing device 146 ispositioned or located within a predetermined distance of the consumerPOD device 104. As used herein, the phrase “predetermined distance”includes a relative distance between two devices that enablescommunication as defined by the communication technology, for example,radio frequency communication, near field communication (NFC), and thelike. The carrier mobile computing device 146 is detected by andcommunicates with the consumer POD device 104. The consumer POD device104 may be positioned in various locations that the consumer 116 findsdesirable for accepting delivery of products, for example, and withoutlimitation, an entry door or garage door of the consumer's home.

In the example embodiment, the consumer POD device 104 includes aprocessor 118, a memory 120, a transceiver 122 (broadly, a wirelesscommunication module), and a photographic element 140. In addition, thecarrier mobile computing device 146 includes at least a processor 302, amemory device 304, and a transceiver 312 (broadly, a wirelesscommunication module) (each shown in FIG. 3). In the preferredembodiment, when positioned within the predetermined distance, thecarrier mobile computing device 146 sends an initial signal wirelesslyover a wireless connection 126 to the transceiver 122 of the consumerPOD device 104. The initial signal is processed by the processor 118 anda response signal is sent to the transceiver 312 of the carrier mobilecomputing device 146. The response signal is processed by the processor302 and stored within the memory device 304.

In another embodiment, the consumer POD device 104 sends the initialsignal to the carrier mobile computing device 146 over the wirelessconnection 126. The initial signal is processed by the processor 302 anda response signal is sent to the consumer POD device 104 over thewireless connection 126. The response signal is processed by theprocessor 118 and stored within the memory 120.

In one embodiment, the initial signal sent from the carrier mobilecomputing device 146 to the consumer POD device 104 triggers theconsumer POD device 104 to transmit a consumer POD device identifier(ID) 128 to the carrier mobile computing device 146. In addition, acarrier mobile device ID 132 is transmitted by the carrier mobilecomputing device 146 to the consumer POD device 104. The carrier mobilecomputing device 146 processes the consumer POD device ID 128 using theprocessor 302 and transmits it to the server system 124 via the network114. In another embodiment, the consumer POD device 104 transmits theconsumer POD device ID 128 to the client system 130, where it issubsequently transmitted to server system 124 via the network 114. Inthe example embodiment, the server system 124 is associated with apayment processor of a payment network (shown in FIG. 5).

In the exemplary embodiment, the consumer POD device 104 is configuredto receive digital wallet data 306 from the consumer computing device102 over a network connection to the network 114. As described herein,when a user performs a transaction, digital wallet data 306 isgenerated. The digital wallet data 306 is transmitted across computerdevices as a digital wallet data message. In one embodiment, when theuser performs a transaction via the consumer POD device 104, the digitalwallet data 306 for the transaction is transmitted to the server system124 and/or to a client system 130 of the merchant 106, where it issubsequently transmitted to the server system 124, via the network 114.The server system 124 processes the digital wallet data 306 in themanner described herein.

The digital wallet data message may include a transaction amount, atransaction date, account data related to the transaction card used toperform the transaction (e.g., primary account number associated withtransaction card, card expiration date, card issuer, card security code,or the like), a merchant identifier, stock-keeping unit (SKU) datarelating to the goods or services purchased from the merchant, or thelike. In one embodiment, the digital wallet data message also includeslocation data. As used herein, location data may include address data,city data, state data, zip or postal code data, country data, merchantlocation identifier data, IP address data, MAC address data, and/or thelike. In another embodiment, the digital wallet data message furtherincludes demographic data. This demographic data may correspond to theuser's age, place of origin, gender, and the like.

A database server 136 is connected to the transaction database 134. Inone embodiment, the transaction database 134 is stored on the serversystem 124 and can be accessed by users at one of the client systems 130by logging onto the server system 124 through one of the client systems130. In an alternative embodiment, the transaction database 134 isstored remotely from the server system 124 and may be non-centralized.The transaction database 134 may store transaction data generated aspart of sales activities conducted over the bankcard network includingdata relating to merchants, account holders or customers, and purchases.The transaction database 134 may also store account data including atleast one of a user name, a user address, an account number, and otheraccount identifiers. The transaction database 134 may also storemerchant data including a merchant identifier that identifies eachmerchant registered to use the payment account card network, andinstructions for settling transactions including merchant bank accountinformation. The transaction database 134 may also store primary accountnumbers (PANs) or bank account numbers for various parties includingmerchants and customers, along with payment verification identifiers andother data necessary to implement the system and processes describedherein.

In the example embodiment, the following associations may be made: oneof the client systems 130 may be associated with an acquirer, a user, ora consumer; another one of the client systems 130 may be associated withan issuer; the consumer POD device 104 may be associated with aconsumer; the consumer computing device 102 may be associated with theconsumer; and the server system 124 may be associated with a paymentnetwork or interchange network.

In the example embodiment, the server system 124 is associated with apayment network, such as payment network 112, and may be referred to asa payment computer device. The server system 124 may be used forprocessing transaction data via the payment network. In addition, atleast one of the client systems 130 may include a computer systemassociated with an issuer of a transaction card. Accordingly, the serversystem 124 and the client systems 130 may be utilized to processtransaction data relating to purchases made by a user utilizing atransaction card that is processed by the payment network and issued bythe associated issuer. Another client system 130 may be associated witha user or a user seeking to process a transaction with at least one ofthe payment network, the issuer, or the consumer POD device 104.

The embodiments illustrated and described herein as well as embodimentsnot specifically described herein but within the scope of aspects of theinvention constitute exemplary means for performing financialtransactions, and more particularly, constitute exemplary means forperforming a financial transaction using a consumer POD device. Forexample, the server system 124, the consumer POD device 104, the clientsystem 130, the consumer computing device 102, the carrier mobilecomputing device 146, or any other similar computer device, speciallyprogrammed with computer-executable instructions to execute processesand techniques with a processor as described herein, constitutesexemplary means for enabling a user to conduct, manage, and trackelectronic transactions relating to purchases of a merchant's productsusing a consumer POD device upon delivery of the purchased products.

The payment card network system 100 described herein is configured toapprove “cardless” electronic transactions made using a PAN having theconsumer computing device 102 “registered” thereto using, for example,wireless communication, unique user account data, and/or the location(e.g., GPS coordinates) of the computing devices (e.g., the consumercomputing device 102 and the consumer POD device 104). The electronictransaction is cardless in that the cardholder does not have tophysically handle the transaction card during the electronictransaction. For example, the cardholder 116 receives the transactioncard from an issuer 110 and enters registration information into theconsumer computing device 102 to register with a payment processingsystem that enables the consumer computing device 102 to electronicallyinitiate cardless electronic transactions. Registration informationincludes, for example, and without limitation, transaction cardinformation, contact information (e.g., an email address and/or atelephone number), billing information, and/or shipping information.Transaction card information may include, for example, a transactioncard or payment account identifier (e.g., a PAN, a partial accountnumber, and/or a card name), a security code, and/or an expiry date.Shipping information may include, for example, a delivery address and/ordelivery instructions. In one embodiment, the cardholder enters, amongother data inputs, a PAN into the consumer computing device 102. The PANis stored in the memory device 304. In another embodiment, the PAN isentered into the consumer computing device 102 but is then sent on to apayment processor computing device where it is tokenized, and the tokenPAN is returned to the consumer computing device 102 for storage.

Additionally, the cardholder 116 may provide a biometric sample that isto be associated with the other registration information provided thatis stored in the consumer computing device 102. Biometric samplesinclude, without limitation, a fingerprint image, a voice recording, aretinal image, facial recognition, palm print image, iris recognition,and the like. The biometric sample is unique to the cardholder 116 anddifficult to duplicate and/or forge by an unauthorized user. Thebiometric sample is stored and associated with a biometric identifier.Additionally, the biometric identifier is associated with the storedregistration information and facilitates secure authorization oftransactions initiated using any of the registration information. Abiometric input device in communication with the consumer computingdevice 102 may be used for the cardholder to enter the biometric sample.For example, the consumer computing device 102 may include an integralfingerprint or palm reader/scanner, retinal or iris reader/scanner,camera, and/or voice reader/recorder.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the consumer POD device 104. In theexample embodiment, the consumer POD device 104 is a small form factorcomputing device configured to connect to the network 114 and mobilecomputing devices, such as the carrier mobile computing device 146. Asdescribed herein, the consumer POD device 104 generally includes theprocessor 118, the memory 120, the transceiver 122, and the photographicelement 140. In addition, the consumer POD device 104 includes anintegrated Wi-Fi component 202 (e.g., implementing the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics/IEEE 802.11 family of standards), a motionsensor 204, an integrated display 220, and an audio module 222. However,the consumer POD device 104 typically does not include its own powersupply; rather, it typically relies upon an external power source 208 toreceive power. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the consumer PODdevice 104 may include an internal power supply 210 (e.g., a battery orother self-contained power source).

The processor 118 includes one or more processing units (e.g., in amulti-core configuration) specially programmed for executing computerreadable instructions. The instructions may be executed within a varietyof different operating systems (OS) on the consumer POD device 104, suchas UNIX, LINUX, Microsoft Windows®, etc. More specifically, theinstructions may cause various data manipulations on data stored in thememory 120 (e.g., create, read, update, and delete procedures). Itshould also be appreciated that upon initiation of a computer-basedmethod, various instructions may be executed during initialization. Someoperations may be required to perform one or more processes describedherein, while other operations may be more general and/or specific to aprogramming language (e.g., C, C #, C++, Java, or other suitableprogramming languages, etc.).

In the example embodiment, the processor 118 may be implemented as oneor more cryptographic processors. A cryptographic processor may include,for example, dedicated circuitry and hardware such as one or morecryptographic arithmetic logic units (not shown) that are optimized toperform computational intensive cryptographic functions. A cryptographicprocessor may be a dedicated microprocessor for carrying outcryptographic operations, embedded in a packaging with multiple physicalsecurity measures, which facilitate providing a degree of tamperresistance. A cryptographic processor facilitates providing atamper-proof boot and/or operating environment, and persistent andvolatile storage encryption to facilitate secure, encryptedtransactions.

Because the consumer POD device 104 may be widely deployed with variousconsumers 116, it may be impractical to manually update software foreach consumer POD device 104. Therefore, the system 100 provides amechanism for automatically updating the software on the consumer PODdevice 104. For example, the updating mechanism may be used toautomatically update any number of components and their drivers, bothnetwork and non-network components, including system level (OS) softwarecomponents. In some embodiments, the consumer POD device 104 componentsare dynamically loadable and unloadable; thus, they may be replaced inoperation without having to reboot the OS.

The photographic element 140 may include a camera, as are known in theart, or other optical sensor and lens combinations capable of generatinga live video visual feed and taking a picture or capturing an image. Invarious embodiments, the photographic element 140 may be integrated inthe housing or body of the consumer POD device 104. When thephotographic element 140 captures a still image or otherwise generatesimage data (e.g., video data), the photographic element may store imagedata in a data file, either in raw or compressed format, in the memory120.

The motion sensor 204 may include one or more sensor elements thatdetects a person's presence, such as when the package carrier 138approaches the consumer POD device 104. Upon detection of the presenceof a person, the photographic element 140 may begin capturing images(e.g., still or video images) of the person and the audio module 222 maybegin capturing audio. The motion sensor may be operatively coupled tothe photographic element 140 such that the person's presence may bedetected by detecting motion using the photographic element 140. Themotion sensor 204 may include, for example, and without limitation,sensor elements such as a passive infrared sensor, an ambient lightsensor, and the like.

In the example embodiment, the integrated display 220 can include, forexample, and without limitation, a liquid crystal display (LCD), anorganic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or an “electronic ink”display. In some embodiments, the display 220 may optionally include atouch controller for support of touch capability. In such embodiments,the consumer POD device 104 may detect a person's presence by detectingthat the person has touched the display 220 on the consumer POD device104.

The audio module 222 may include, for example, and without limitation, aspeaker and related components capable of broadcasting streaming and/orrecorded audio and may also include a microphone. The microphonefacilitates capturing audio through the consumer POD device 104.

In the example embodiment, the consumer POD device 104 includes ahousing 214 at least partly (and more preferably, at least substantiallyor entirely) enclosing the components described above. In addition, thePOD device 104 includes circuitry 230 configured to communicate with thecarrier mobile computing device 146 (shown in FIG. 1). The circuitry 230may include, for example, leads, connectors, NFC-enabled circuitry,Wi-Fi-enabled circuitry, and photographic element circuitry. The housing214 is preferably configured to seal the circuitry 230, which issusceptible to degradation from the ambient environment. In oneembodiment, the circuitry 230 is hermetically sealed in the housing 214.For example, in one embodiment, the circuitry 230 is completely andpermanently encased within the housing 214. In other words, the housing214 and the circuitry 230 are intended to remain as a single,inseparable unit throughout the life of the consumer POD device 104. Inthis embodiment, the circuitry 230 can be made by overmolding thehousing 214 onto the circuitry 230 using any known overmoldingtechnique. It is understood that the housing 214 can be formedseparately from the circuitry 230 and that the circuitry 230 can beplaced into and sealed within the housing 214 in a separate operation.It is also understood that the housing 214 can be oversized with respectto the circuitry 230 so that the circuitry 230 can be placed looselyinto the housing 214. In another embodiment, the circuitry 230 can beselectively, sealingly enclosed within the housing 214, where thehousing 214 includes a closure 216 removably attached to a body of thehousing 214.

The housing 214 is fabricated from a suitably selected material thatfacilitates inhibiting the effect the material has on the signal beingemitted from, for example, the transceiver 122 and/or the Wi-Ficomponent 202 and passing through the housing material. For example, andwithout limitation, suitable materials from which the housing 214 may befabricated include polyethylene, propylene, isoprene, and butylenes(i.e., polyolefins). In other embodiments, the housing 214 is fabricatedfrom any material that enables the consumer POD device 104 to functionas described herein.

In one embodiment, the transceiver 122 includes an antenna 232. Theantenna 232 includes a looped wire configured to transmit radio signalswhen current flows through the looped wire. The antenna 232 is any size,shape, and configuration that is suitable for transmitting signals asdescribed herein. For example, the antenna 232 is a tuned circuitconfigured to transmit radio signals in any radio-based communicationsystem including, but not limited to, Radio Frequency Identification(RFID), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and Wireless Personal AreaNetwork (WPAN) systems. In the example embodiment, the antenna 232generates a magnetic field when it vibrates at a selected frequency.Specifically, the antenna 232 is configured to vibrate at a frequency ofabout 13.56 MHz, which is suitable for use in a near field communication(NFC) system.

In the example embodiment, the antenna 232 transmits radio signals toand receives radio signals from, for example, the carrier mobilecomputing device 146 (shown in FIG. 1) or any other components used inNFC systems. In NFC systems, at least one NFC component generates amagnetic field to inductively transfer currents and, thereby, exchangesignals and information with other NFC components positioned within themagnetic field. In the exemplary embodiment, the antenna 232 functionsas an NFC component to send and receive signals. The antenna 232 isconfigured to transmit radio signals to NFC components positioned withinthe magnetic field of the antenna 232, such as when the carrier mobilecomputing device 146 is located within a predetermined distance of theconsumer POD device 104. Therefore, the magnetic field generated by theantenna 232 defines the active range of the consumer POD device 104.Additionally, the antenna 232 receives radio signals from NFC componentswhen the antenna 232 is positioned within the magnetic field of the NFCcomponents.

The transceiver 122 also includes a radio frequency (RF) interface 234and an NFC device controller 236. The RF interface 234 and the NFCdevice controller 236 are powered by the power source 208, and in someembodiments, the power supply 210 or the external display device 220, asis the processor 118 and the memory 120. The RF interface 234 isconfigured to receive and transmit RF signals through the antenna 232.The NFC device controller 236 is configured to process the received RFsignals and to generate signals to be transmitted by the RF interface234. The memory 120 is configured to store data associated withtransmitting and receiving the RF signals. The NFC device controller 236is coupled in communication with the processor 118.

In some embodiments, the consumer POD device 104 may be connected to oneor more peripheral devices (not shown). That is, the consumer POD device104 may communicate various data with one or more peripheral devices.For example, the consumer POD device 104 may communicate with one ormore peripheral devices through the Wi-Fi component 202, the transceiver122, or other suitable means.

FIG. 3 is an example configuration of a user system 300 operated by auser 301, such as the consumer 116 or the package carrier 138 (eachshown in FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the user system 300 is a consumercomputing device 102 (shown in FIG. 1), a client system 130 (shown inFIG. 1), and/or a carrier mobile computing device 146 (shown in FIG. 1).

In the example embodiment, the user system 300 includes one or moreprocessors 302 for executing instructions. In some embodiments,executable instructions are stored in a memory device 304. The processor302 may include one or more processing units arranged, for example, in amulti-core configuration. The memory device 304 is any device allowinginformation such as the digital wallet data 306 (optional), executableinstructions, and/or written works to be stored and retrieved. Thememory device 304 includes one or more computer readable media.

A location of the user system 300 can be obtained through conventionalmethods, such as a location service (e.g., global positioning system(GPS) service) in the user system 300, “ping” data that includesgeotemporal data, from cell location register information held by atelecommunications provider to which the user system 300 is connected,and the like. For example, in one suitable embodiment, a GPS chip can bepart of or separate from the processor 302 to enable the location of theuser system 300 to be determined.

The user system 300 also includes at least one media output component308 for presenting information to the user 301. The media outputcomponent 308 is any component capable of conveying information to theuser 301. In some embodiments, the media output component 308 includesan output adapter such as a video adapter and/or an audio adapter. Anoutput adapter is operatively coupled to the processor 302 andoperatively connectable to an output device such as a display device, aliquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED)display, or “electronic ink” display, or an audio output device, aspeaker, or headphones.

In some embodiments, the user system 300 includes an input device 310for receiving input from the user 301. The input device 310 may include,for example, a touch sensitive panel, a touch pad, a touch screen, astylus, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a position detector, a keyboard,a pointing device, a mouse, or an audio input device. A single componentsuch as a touch screen may function as both an output device of themedia output component 308 and the input device 310. The user system 300may also include a transceiver 312 (broadly, a communication interface),which is communicatively connectable to a remote device such as theconsumer POD device 104 (shown in FIG. 1). The transceiver 312 mayinclude, for example, a wired or wireless network adapter or a wirelessdata transceiver for use with radio frequency communication, near fieldcommunication (NFC), and/or with a mobile phone network, Global Systemfor Mobile communications (GSM), 3G, or other mobile data network,and/or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) and thelike.

Stored in the memory device 304 are, for example, computer readableinstructions for providing a user interface to the user 301 via themedia output component 308 and, optionally, receiving and processinginput from the input device 310. A user interface may include, amongother possibilities, a web browser and a carrier application 148 (shownin FIG. 1). Web browsers enable users, such as the consumer 116 orpackage carrier 138, to display and interact with media and otherinformation typically embedded on a web page or a web site from theserver system 124. The carrier application 148 allows the packagecarrier 138 to interact with the consumer POD device 104 to execute atransaction upon delivery of a package to the consumer 116.

FIG. 4 is an example configuration of a server system 400, such as theserver system 124 (shown in FIG. 1). The server system 400 includes, butis not limited to, the database server 136 (shown in FIG. 1). In someembodiments, the server system 400 is substantially like the serversystem 124. In the example embodiment, the server system 400 includes aprocessor 402 for executing instructions. The instructions may be storedin a memory area 404, for example. The processor 402 includes one ormore processing units (e.g., in a multi-core configuration) forexecuting the instructions. The instructions may be executed within avariety of different operating systems on the server system 400, such asUNIX, LINUX, Microsoft Windows®, etc. More specifically, theinstructions may cause various data manipulations on data stored in astorage device 410 (e.g., create, read, update, and delete procedures).It should also be appreciated that upon initiation of a computer-basedmethod, various instructions may be executed during initialization. Someoperations may be required to perform one or more processes describedherein, while other operations may be more general and/or specific to aprogramming language (e.g., C, C #, C++, Java, or other suitableprogramming languages, etc.).

The processor 402 is operatively coupled to a communication interface406 such that the server system 400 can communicate with a remote devicesuch as a user system 300 or another server system 400. For example, thecommunication interface 406 may receive communications from the consumerPOD device 104 via the Internet, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The processor 402 is operatively coupled to the storage device 410. Thestorage device 410 is any computer-operated hardware suitable forstoring and/or retrieving data. In some embodiments, the storage device410 is integrated in the server system 400. In other embodiments, thestorage device 410 is external to the server system 400 and is like thetransaction database 134 (shown in FIG. 1). For example, the serversystem 400 may include one or more hard disk drives as the storagedevice 410. In other embodiments, the storage device 410 is external tothe server system 400 and may be accessed by a plurality of serversystems 400. For example, the storage device 410 may include multiplestorage units such as hard disks or solid-state disks in a redundantarray of inexpensive disks (RAID) configuration. The storage device 410may include a storage area network (SAN) and/or a network attachedstorage (NAS) system.

In some embodiments, the processor 402 is operatively coupled to thestorage device 410 via a storage interface 408. The storage interface408 is any component capable of providing the processor 402 with accessto the storage device 410. The storage interface 408 may include, forexample, an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) adapter, a Serial ATA(SATA) adapter, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) adapter, a RAIDcontroller, a SAN adapter, a network adapter, and/or any componentproviding the processor 402 with access to the storage device 410.

The memory area 404 includes, but is not limited to, random accessmemory (RAM) such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) or static RAM (SRAM), read-onlymemory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM),electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), andnon-volatile RAM (NVRAM). The above memory types are exemplary only andare thus not limiting as to the types of memory usable for storage of acomputer program.

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary access system 500including the consumer POD device 104 in accordance with one embodimentof the present disclosure. The access system 500 may be utilized by thepackage carrier 138 as part of a process of gaining access to theconsumer's home, place of business, or other delivery location fordelivery of goods or services as described herein.

In the exemplary embodiment, the consumer POD device 104 may be locatedproximate an access point of the consumer's selected delivery location.The access point may include an electronic lock 502 configured tosecurely lock the access point, such as a door. As used herein, thephrase “access point” incudes, for example, a door to the interior ofthe consumer's home or place of business, a storage unit or boxassociated with the consumer's home or place of business, which can berefrigerated in some embodiments, and/or any other limited accesslocation.

As shown in FIG. 5, the electronic lock 502 may include, for example,and without limitation, one or more of the following: an NFC reader 504;a camera 506 for reading a machine-readable code, such as a barcode orQuick Response (QR) code; and a numeric keypad 508 for entering anumeric code to unlock the electronic lock 502. It is noted that themachine-readable code may consist of a one-dimensional (1D) barcode or atwo-dimensional (2D) barcode (e.g., a matrix barcode). A 1D barcode usesa series of variable-width lines and spaces to encode data. A 2D barcodeuses patterns of squares, hexagons, dots, and other shapes to encodedata. A 2D barcode may include, for example, and without limitation, aQR code or other codes such as a Data Matrix code, a PDF417 code, anEZcode, a high capacity color barcode, a ShotCode, a MaxiCode, and thelike.

In an embodiment where the electronic lock 502 includes the NFC reader504, the electronic lock may be enabled for reading an NFC enableddevice, such as the carrier mobile computing device 146, or a passiveNFC tag (e.g., a key fob and the like). In operation, the electroniclock communicates inductively with the carrier mobile computing device146, which responds with a unique identifier, such as a UniversalResource Indicator (URI), which is encoded in such a way as to actuatethe electronic lock 502.

In another embodiment, a user, such as the package carrier 138, mayprovide the machine-readable code, such as a barcode or QR codedescribed above, to the electronic lock 502 within the field of view ofthe camera 506. An exemplary embodiment of the machine-readable codeutilizes a QR code and will be referred to herein as such. The QR codemay include, for example, the URI. When the QR code is scanned by thecamera 506, the electronic lock 502 may be actuated to enable entry tothe access point.

Furthermore, the electronic lock may include the numeric keypad 508. Thenumeric keypad 508 may be used, for example, by the package carrier 138to enter a numeric access code by pressing the numbered keys. If theaccess code is successfully entered, the electronic lock 502 may beactuated to enable entry to the access point.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary computer-implementedmethod 600 for ordering products from a merchant 106 (shown in FIG. 1)and completing a purchase transaction upon delivery of the products, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The operationsdescribed herein may be performed in the order shown in FIG. 6 or may beperformed in a different order. Furthermore, some operations may beperformed concurrently as opposed to sequentially. In addition, someoperations may be optional.

The computer-implemented method 600 is described below, for ease ofreference, as being executed by exemplary devices and componentsintroduced with the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. In oneembodiment, the method 600 may be implemented by the payment cardnetwork system 100 (shown in FIG. 1). In the exemplary embodiment, themethod 600 relates to the receiving of transaction information from thepackage carrier 138 (shown in FIG. 1) via the consumer POD device 104(shown in FIG. 1) upon delivery of the products by the package carrier.While operations within the method 600 are described below regarding theconsumer POD device 104, the method 600 may be implemented at leastpartly on the consumer POD device 104 as well as other such devicesand/or systems, such as the consumer computing device 102 and/or thecarrier mobile computing device 146, through the utilization ofprocessors, transceivers, hardware, software, firmware, or combinationsthereof. However, a person having ordinary skill will appreciate thatresponsibility for all or some of such actions may be distributeddifferently among such devices or other computing devices withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present disclosure.

One or more computer-readable medium(s) may also be provided. Thecomputer-readable medium(s) may include one or more executable programsstored thereon, wherein the program(s) instruct one or more processorsor processing units to perform all or certain of the steps outlinedherein. The program(s) stored on the computer-readable medium(s) mayinstruct the processor or processing units to perform additional, fewer,or alternative actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

Referring to operation 602, in the example embodiment, a customer, suchas the consumer 116, may visit a merchant 106 (e.g., either a physicallocation or a virtual location) and select one or more of the merchant'sproducts (e.g., good or services) for delivery. The consumer 116 mayselect any number of products before proceeding to checkout, where theconsumer 116 is prompted to place an order after selecting the products.

At operation 604, during the checkout process, the consumer 116 mayselect to pay for the products upon delivery (e.g., collect-on-delivery(COD)). Upon selecting to pay for the products upon delivery, theconsumer 116 may be presented with the details of the transaction,including, for example, information relating to the consumer, a deliveryaddress, a delivery date or estimated delivery date, and the totalpayment amount due upon delivery. The details of the transaction mayalso provide the consumer 116 with a list of all the purchased products.

At operation 606, the merchant 106 may generate an electronic record ofthe COD transaction. Specifically, the merchant 106 may encode thetransaction details in an electronic transaction file stored on, forexample, a merchant client system 130 (shown in FIG. 1). The CODtransaction may be assigned a transaction number to facilitateidentifying and retrieving the transaction details at a future time.Furthermore, at an operation 608, the client system 130 may generate amachine-readable transaction code, such as a barcode or QR code, thatmay include, for example, the transaction number and other transactiondetails (e.g., purchased products, quantities of products, etc.). The QRcode may be printed and attached to the product package prior toshipment to the consumer 116.

At operation 610, the merchant 106 may ship the purchased products tothe consumer 116 as a COD package including the QR code printed on thepackage. At operation 612, the package carrier 138 arrives at theconsumer's home or place of delivery and scans the QR code at theconsumer POD device 104. For example, and without limitation, theconsumer POD device 104 may detect the presence of the package carrier138 as described herein. The package carrier 138 may present the QR codeto the field of view of the photographic element 140. The consumer PODdevice 104 may scan the QR code and extract the transaction number andother transaction details.

At operation 614, the consumer POD device 104 may send a notification tothe consumer 116 at the consumer computing device 102, for example, viathe network 114, notifying the consumer 116 that the package carrier 138is present at his/her home, place of business, or other consumerselected delivery location. Upon receiving an acknowledgement of thenotification from the consumer 116, at operation 616, the consumer PODdevice 104 may transmit the transaction details to the consumer 116 viathe consumer computing device 102, for example, for presentation to theconsumer 116 via a display of the consumer computing device 102. Theconsumer computing device 102 may provide the consumer 116 with anoption to select a funding source, such as the digital wallet data 306,for funding the transaction.

Optionally, at operation 618, the consumer computing device 102 may sendpayment details to the consumer POD device 104, for example, and withoutlimitation, the digital wallet data 306. At operation 620, the digitalwallet data 306 may be used, for example, by the consumer POD device 104or by the consumer computing device 102, to process the transaction(i.e., using the payment details in an approval process to approve ordeny the transaction) with the interchange network 112 (shown in FIG.1).

In an embodiment where the consumer POD device 104 processes thetransaction, upon receiving a payment authorization response messageindicating completion of the transaction (described below with respectto FIG. 8), at operation 622, the consumer POD device 104 may notify theconsumer 116 and the package carrier 138 accordingly. For example, theconsumer POD device 104 may transmit a payment completion message to thepackage carrier 138 for presentation via the display 220 and maytransmit the payment completion message to the consumer computing device102 for presentation to the consumer 116. Alternatively, in anembodiment where the consumer computing device 102 processes thetransaction, upon receiving a payment authorization response messageindicating completion of the transaction (described below with respectto FIG. 8), the consumer computing device 102 may transmit a paymentcompletion message to the POD device 104 for notifying the packagecarrier 138 that the transaction was completed. Upon receiving thepayment completion message, the package carrier 138 may leave thepackage at the consumer's home or place of delivery.

As is understood from the above described method 600, the consumer 116who wishes to make a payment for products upon delivery of the products,can initiate the transaction by having the consumer POD device 104reading (e.g., scanning) a machine-readable transaction code, such as aQR code, and then proceeding with the transaction using his/her consumercomputing device 102. This facilitates the consumer 116 making a paymentupon delivery of the products even when the consumer 116 is not athis/her home or other place of delivery.

It is noted that the package carrier 138 and the merchant 106 describedabove may be one and the same. That is, the merchant may be the packagecarrier, for example, in instances where the merchant makes homedeliveries directly.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an alternative computer-implementedmethod 700 for ordering products from a merchant 106 (shown in FIG. 1)and completing a purchase transaction upon delivery of the products, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The operationsdescribed herein may be performed in the order shown in FIG. 7 or may beperformed in a different order. Furthermore, some operations may beperformed concurrently as opposed to sequentially. In addition, someoperations may be optional.

The computer-implemented method 700 is described below, for ease ofreference, as being executed by exemplary devices and componentsintroduced with the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. In oneembodiment, the method 700 may be implemented by the payment cardnetwork system 100 (shown in FIG. 1). In the exemplary embodiment, themethod 700 relates to the receiving of transaction information from thepackage carrier 138 (shown in FIG. 1) via the consumer POD device 104(shown in FIG. 1) upon delivery of the products by the package carrier.While operations within the method 700 are described below regarding theconsumer POD device 104, the method 700 may be implemented at leastpartly on the consumer POD device 104 as well as other such devicesand/or systems, such as the consumer computing device 102 and/or carriermobile computing device 146, through the utilization of processors,transceivers, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof.However, a person having ordinary skill will appreciate thatresponsibility for all or some of such actions may be distributeddifferently among such devices or other computing devices withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present disclosure.

One or more computer-readable medium(s) may also be provided. Thecomputer-readable medium(s) may include one or more executable programsstored thereon, wherein the program(s) instruct one or more processorsor processing units to perform all or certain of the steps outlinedherein. The program(s) stored on the computer-readable medium(s) mayinstruct the processor or processing units to perform additional, fewer,or alternative actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

At operation 702, in the example embodiment, a customer, such as theconsumer 116, may visit a merchant 106 (e.g., either a physical locationor a virtual location) and select one or more of the merchant's products(e.g., good or services) for delivery. The consumer 116 may select anynumber of products before proceeding to checkout, where the consumer 116is prompted to place an order after selecting the products.

At operation 704, during the checkout process, the consumer 116 mayselect to pay for the products upon delivery (e.g., collect-on-delivery(COD)). Upon selecting to pay for the products upon delivery, theconsumer 116 may be presented with the details of the transaction,including, for example, information relating to the consumer, a deliveryaddress, a delivery date or estimated delivery date, and the totalpayment amount due upon delivery. The details of the transaction mayalso provide the consumer 116 with a list of all the purchased products.

At operation 706, the merchant 106 may generate an electronic record ofthe COD transaction. Specifically, the merchant 106 may store thetransaction details in an electronic transaction file stored on, forexample, a merchant client system 130 (shown in FIG. 1). The transactionmay be assigned a transaction number to facilitate identifying andretrieving the transaction details at a future time. Furthermore, at anoperation 708, the client system 130 may generate a machine-readabletransaction code, such as a QR code, that may include, for example, thetransaction number and other transaction details (e.g., purchasedproducts, quantities of products, etc.).

At operation 710, the merchant 106 may ship the purchased products tothe consumer 116 as a COD package. As part of the COD shipment, themerchant 106 may electronically transmit the QR code to the packagecarrier 138 for use with the carrier application 148 installed on thecarrier mobile computing device 146, as indicated at operation 712.

At operation 714, the package carrier 138 arrives at the consumer's homeor place of delivery and may tap the carrier mobile computing device 146against the consumer POD device 104. At operation 716, the packagecarrier transmits the QR code to the consumer POD device 104, forexample, by displaying the QR code on the carrier mobile computingdevice 146 such that the consumer POD device 104 may scan the QR code.Alternatively, the QR code provided to the package carrier by themerchant 106 may be encoded for electronic transmission by NFCcommunication via the tapping of the carrier mobile computing device 146against the consumer POD device 104. The consumer POD device 104 mayscan or otherwise receive the QR code and extract the transaction numberand other transaction details.

At operation 718, the consumer POD device 104 may send a notification tothe consumer 116, for example, via the network 114, notifying theconsumer 116 that the package carrier 138 is present at his/her home.Upon acknowledgement of the notification, the consumer POD device 104may display the transaction details to the consumer 116 via the consumercomputing device 102.

The consumer computing device 102 may provide the consumer 116 with theoption to select a funding source, such as the digital wallet data 306,and optionally, at operation 720, may send the payment details to theconsumer POD device 104. At operation 722, the digital wallet data 306may be used, for example, by the consumer POD device 104 or by theconsumer computing device 102, in an approval process to approve or denythe transaction. At operation 724, the consumer 116 and the packagecarrier 138 may be notified accordingly. For example, the consumer PODdevice 104 may display an authorization message (described below) to thepackage carrier 138 via the display 220 and may send an authorizationmessage to the consumer computing device 102. Alternatively, theconsumer computing device 102 may transmit an authorization message tothe POD device 104 for notifying the package carrier 138 that thetransaction was completed. Upon receiving the authorization message, thepackage carrier 138 may leave the package at the consumer's home orplace of delivery.

As is understood from the above described method 700, the consumer 116who wishes to make a payment for products upon delivery of the products,can initiate the transaction by having the consumer POD device 104reading (e.g., scanning) or otherwise receiving a machine-readabletransaction code, such as a QR code, and then proceeding with thetransaction using his/her consumer computing device 102. The method 700thus facilitates the consumer 116 making a payment upon delivery of theproducts even when the consumer 116 is not at his/her home or otherplace of delivery.

It is noted that the package carrier 138 and the merchant 106 describedabove may be one and the same. That is, the merchant may be the packagecarrier, for example, in instances where the merchant makes homedeliveries directly.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a transaction card account system 800showing data flow among the consumer computing device 102, the consumerPOD device 104, and a merchant processor 804. In the example embodiment,the system 800 is a transaction card account system such as the paymentcard network system 100 (shown in FIG. 1). In some embodiments, thepayment processor 802 is an interchange network, such as the interchangenetwork 112 (shown in FIG. 1). The consumer computing device 102 isconfigured to allow consumer 116 (shown in FIG. 1) to access the paymentprocessor 802 via the consumer POD device 104, and electronicallytransact with the payment processor 802 and/or the consumer POD device104 to complete the purchase goods or services associated with themerchant 106 (shown in FIG. 1) upon delivery of the goods or services.In the example embodiment, the consumer computing device 102 is coupledin communication with the consumer POD device 104, for example, via thenetwork 114 (shown in FIG. 1).

In the example embodiment, the consumer POD device 104 wirelesslycommunicates purchase data 812 to the consumer computing device 102. Theconsumer POD device 104 is configured to transmit the purchase data 812by radio transmission using the circuitry 230 (shown in FIG. 2), such asthe NFC-enabled circuitry or Wi-Fi enabled circuitry. The purchase data812 includes information related to a transaction for goods and/orservices provided by the merchant 106, for example, via the carriermobile computing device 146.

The consumer computing device 102 transmits the transaction data 814 tothe consumer POD device 104 after receiving the purchase data 812 fromthe consumer POD device 104. The consumer computing device 102 isconfigured to transmit the transaction data 814 wirelessly via thetransceiver 312 (shown in FIG. 3) to the consumer POD device 104. Thetransaction data 814 includes transaction information responsive to thepurchase data 812, i.e., the transaction data 814 indicates a purchaseditem identifier associated with the goods and/or services the consumer116 purchased from the merchant for delivery and a payment credential(i.e., the digital wallet data 306).

The consumer POD device 104 receives the transaction data 814 andgenerates a payment authorization request message 824. The paymentauthorization request message 824 is transmitted to the payment computerdevice 816 for processing and further transmission to an issuing bank,such as the issuer 110 (shown in FIG. 1), for approval. In oneembodiment, the payment computer device 816 includes an interchangecomputer associated with an interchange. A payment authorizationresponse message 826 is received from the issuing bank and transmittedto the consumer POD device 104 by the payment computer device 816.Additionally, first transaction data 818 are stored at the paymentprocessor 802 after the transaction is processed by the issuing bank.The first transaction data 818 includes at least the digital wallet data306 associated with the consumer 116 and the transaction data 814associated with the purchased item.

After completion of the transaction, the consumer POD device 104generates and transmits a notification message 828 to the consumercomputing device 102 indicating that the transaction was completed andthat the purchased goods and/or services will be delivered to theconsumer 116 (e.g., left at the consumer's home or place of delivery)associated with consumer computing device 102.

In the example embodiment, the payment computer device 816 is configuredto store and/or track other transaction data 819 associated with otherpurchased items related to consumer computing device 102. The firsttransaction data 818 and other transaction data 819 define a totaltransaction data 821 associated with the consumer computing device 102.Moreover, the payment computer device 816 is configured to track,categorize, organize, and/or analyze the first transaction data 818and/or the total transaction data 821. In one embodiment, the paymentcomputer device 816 is configured to aggregate a monetary value of thestored first transaction data 818 and/or the total transaction data 821over a period of time.

The consumer computing device 102 is configured to allow the consumer116 to remotely access the consumer POD device 104 and the paymentcomputer device 816, and electronically transact with the consumer PODdevice 104 and/or the payment computer device 816. In the exampleembodiment, the consumer computing device 102 is configured to conductelectronic transactions associated with the first transaction data 818such as, financial transactions, and to present the transactions to theconsumer 116. The consumer computing device 102 is also configured totransmit a report call 820 to the payment processor 802 to request areport message 822, which includes a record of the stored transactiondata 818 and/or the total transaction data 821 including financialtransactions.

The payment computer device 816 stores the first transaction data 818and/or the total transaction data 821, the digital wallet data 306, andthe transaction data 814 for the consumer computing device 102. Theconsumer 116 may view the transaction data 818 and 821 by transmittingthe report call 820 to the payment computer device 816, receiving thereport message 822, and displaying the report message 822 using themedia output component 308 (shown in FIG. 3) of the consumer computingdevice 102. More particularly, the payment computer device 816 isconfigured to transmit the report message 822 including the firsttransaction data 818 and/or the total transaction data 821 to theconsumer computing device 102. The consumer computing device 102 isconfigured to receive the report message 822 including the firsttransaction data 818 and/or the total transaction data 821 from thepayment computer device 816 for display to the consumer 116.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a computer-implemented method 900 forunlocking an electronic lock (shown in FIG. 5) after completing apurchase transaction for receipt of a payment-on-delivery package, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The operationsdescribed herein may be performed in the order shown in FIG. 9 or may beperformed in a different order. Furthermore, some operations may beperformed concurrently as opposed to sequentially. In addition, someoperations may be optional.

The computer-implemented method 900 is described below, for ease ofreference, as being executed by exemplary devices and componentsintroduced with the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 and 8. Themethod 900 may be implemented by the access system 500 (shown in FIG.5). In the exemplary embodiment, the method 900 relates to the receivingof access data from the consumer computing device 102 (shown in FIG. 1)via the consumer POD device 104 (shown in FIG. 5) upon authorization ofthe payment transaction for a payment-on-delivery package.

One or more computer-readable medium(s) may also be provided. Thecomputer-readable medium(s) may include one or more executable programsstored thereon, wherein the program(s) instruct one or more processorsor processing units to perform all or certain of the steps outlinedherein. The program(s) stored on the computer-readable medium(s) mayinstruct the processor or processing units to perform additional, fewer,or alternative actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

As discussed above with respect to methods 600 and 700, after theconsumer 116 has completed the payment transaction to receive thepurchased products from the merchant, at operation 902, the consumer PODdevice 104 may display a message at the consumer computing device 102requesting whether the consumer 116 wishes to allow entry to theconsumer's selected delivery location (e.g., home, place of business,storage unit, etc.) by unlocking the electronic lock 502 (shown in FIG.5). For example, in some embodiments, the consumer POD device maytransmit a push notification to the consumer computing device 102 thatautomatically displays a pop-up message on the consumer computing devicedisplay. Alternatively, the consumer 116 may provide a notification tothe consumer POD device 104 during the transaction that the electroniclock 502 may be actuated by the package carrier 138 upon completion ofthe payment transaction. If the consumer 116 chooses not to allow entry,the method 900 ends. If the consumer chooses to allow entry, the method900 continues as described herein at operation 904.

At operation 904, if the consumer chose to allow the package carrier toactuate the electronic lock 502, the consumer POD device 104 may displaya message to the package carrier 138 asking whether the package carrier138 wishes to actuate the electronic lock 502 to enable the packagecarrier 138 to leave the package inside the access point, i.e., theconsumer's home or other selected delivery location. The message may bedisplayed to the package carrier 138 via the display 220 of the consumerPOD device 104, or alternatively, via the carrier application 148 of thecarrier mobile computing device 146. As discussed above, the consumerPOD device 104 may establish a wireless connection with the carriermobile computing device 146 to facilitate displaying the message withinthe carrier application 148.

At operation 906, the package carrier 138 may select not to actuate theelectronic lock 502, thereby ending the interaction with the consumerPOD device 104. At this point, the package carrier may leave theconsumer's selected delivery location (e.g., home, place of business,storage unit, etc.). Alternatively, the package carrier 138 may selectto actuate the electronic lock 502.

Upon selecting to actuate the electronic lock 502, the consumer PODdevice 104 may display an access code to the package carrier 138 foractuating the electronic lock 502 at operation 908. The access code, forexample, may be a one-time use access code that expires upon unlockingof the electronic lock 502. The consumer POD device 104 may display a QRcode on the display 220 of the consumer POD device 104 in which thepackage carrier 138 may scan with the carrier mobile computing device146. Scanning of the QR code may provide a numeric code to unlock theelectronic lock 502. Alternatively, the carrier mobile computing device146 may take an image of the QR code.

At operation 910, the package carrier 138 may enter the access code intothe electronic lock 502. For example, the package carrier may reproducethe imaged QR code received from the consumer POD device 104 by placingit in the field of view of the camera 506 of the electronic lock 502.Upon scanning the QR code with the camera 506, the electronic lock 502may actuate to allow entry by the package carrier 138. In addition, thecarrier mobile computing device 146 may be tapped against the NC reader504 of the electronic lock to gain entry. For example, scanning the QRcode on the display 220 of the consumer POD device 104 may provide anelectronic access code to the carrier mobile computing device 146 thatcan be used to actuate the electronic lock 502. Moreover, the packagecarrier 138 may simply enter the numeric access code into the electroniclock 502 via the numeric keypad 508. At operation 912, upon entering theaccess code, the package carrier 138 may gain access to the consumer'sselected delivery location (e.g., home, place of business, storage unit,etc.) by actuating the electronic lock via the access code.

After gaining access, the package carrier 138 may leave the package andno longer access the delivery location (e.g., consumer's home, place ofbusiness, storage unit, etc.). At operation 914, the electronic lock 502may actuate and lock the access point to the consumer's deliverylocation based on proximity of the carrier mobile computing device 146.For example, as described herein, a location of the carrier mobilecomputing device 146 may be obtained via a location service (e.g.,global positioning system (GPS) service) in the carrier mobile computingdevice 146. In addition, as described above, the carrier mobile deviceID 132 is transmitted by the carrier mobile computing device 146 to theconsumer POD device 104 upon connection. The consumer POD device 104 mayuse the carrier mobile device ID 132 and a location service of thecarrier mobile computing device 146 to obtain a location of the carriermobile computing device 146. When the package carrier 138 leaves thelocation of the consumer POD device 104, for example, travels beyond athreshold distance from the consumer POD device 104, the consumer PODdevice 104 may transmit a “lock” command to the electronic lock 502 viathe network 114, thereby securing the access point to the consumer'sdelivery location. In a preferred embodiment, the threshold distance isabout 5 meters (m) (16.4 feet (ft.)). In some embodiments, the thresholddistance may be adjusted by the consumer via the consumer POD device 104and/or the consumer computing device 102.

Any actions, functions, operations, and the like recited herein may beperformed in the order shown in the figures and/or described above ormay be performed in a different order. Furthermore, some operations maybe performed concurrently as opposed to sequentially. Although themethods are described above, for the purpose of illustration, as beingexecuted by an example system and/or example physical elements, it willbe understood that the performance of any one or more of such actionsmay be differently distributed without departing from the spirit of thepresent invention.

A computer-readable storage media or medium comprising a non-transitorymedium may include an executable computer program stored thereon and forinstructing one or more processing elements to perform some or all ofthe operations described herein, including some or all of the operationsof the computer-implemented method. The computer program stored on thecomputer-readable medium may instruct the processor and/or othercomponents of the system to perform additional, fewer, or alternativeoperations, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

All terms used herein are to be broadly interpreted unless otherwisestated. For example, the term “payment card” and the like may, unlessotherwise stated, broadly refer to substantially any suitabletransaction card, such as a credit card, a debit card, a prepaid card, acharge card, a membership card, a promotional card, a frequent flyercard, an identification card, a prepaid card, a gift card, and/or anyother device that may hold payment account information, such as mobilephones, Smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), key fobs,and/or computers. Each type of transaction card can be used as a methodof payment for performing a transaction.

The terms “processor,” “processing element,” and the like, as usedherein, may, unless otherwise stated, broadly refer to any programmablesystem including systems using central processing units,microprocessors, microcontrollers, reduced instruction set circuits(RISC), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), logic circuits,and any other circuit or processor capable of executing the functionsdescribed herein. The above examples are example only and are thus notintended to limit in any way the definition and/or meaning of the term“processor.” In particular, a “processor” may include one or moreprocessors individually or collectively performing the describedoperations. In addition, the terms “software,” “computer program,” andthe like, may, unless otherwise stated, broadly refer to any executablecode stored in memory for execution on mobile devices, clusters,personal computers, workstations, clients, servers, and a processor orwherein the memory includes read-only memory (ROM), electronicprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM), random access memory (RAM),erasable electronic programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), andnon-volatile RAM (NVRAM) memory. The above memory types are example onlyand are thus not limiting as to the types of memory usable for storageof a computer program.

The terms “computer,” “computing device,” “computer system,” and thelike, as used herein, may, unless otherwise stated, broadly refer tosubstantially any suitable technology for processing information,including executing software, and may not be limited to integratedcircuits referred to in the art as a computer, but may broadly refer toa microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller(PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and otherprogrammable circuits, and these terms are used interchangeably herein.

The term “network,” “communications network,” and the like, as usedherein, may, unless otherwise stated, broadly refer to substantially anysuitable technology for facilitating communications (e.g., GSM, CDMA,TDMA, WCDMA, LTE, EDGE, OFDM, GPRS, EV-DO, UWB, WiFi, IEEE 802 includingEthernet, WiMAX, and/or others), including supporting various local areanetworks (LANs), personal area networks (PAN), or short-rangecommunications protocols.

The term “communication component,” “communication interface,” and thelike, as used herein, may, unless otherwise stated, broadly refer tosubstantially any suitable technology for facilitating communications,and may include one or more transceivers (e.g., WWAN, WLAN, and/or WPANtransceivers) functioning in accordance with IEEE standards, 3GPPstandards, or other standards, and configured to receive and transmitsignals via a communications network.

The term “memory area,” “storage device,” and the like, as used herein,may, unless otherwise stated, broadly refer to substantially anysuitable technology for storing information, and may include one or moreforms of volatile and/or non-volatile, fixed and/or removable memory,such as read-only memory (ROM), electronic programmable read-only memory(EPROM), random access memory (RAM), erasable electronic programmableread-only memory (EEPROM), and/or other hard drives, flash memory,MicroSD cards, and others.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the one ormore embodiments illustrated in the figures, it is understood thatequivalents may be employed, and substitutions made herein withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

Having thus described one or more embodiments of the invention, what isclaimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includesthe following:

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented electronic transactionmethod via a payment-on-delivery device comprising a camera, a motionsensor, and a processor, the method comprising the operations of:detecting, by the processor using the motion sensor, the presence of thepackage carrier, wherein the package carrier has a package and amachine-readable transaction code; reading, by the processor using thecamera, the machine-readable transaction code; extracting, by theprocessor, transaction details from the machine-readable transactioncode, the transaction details being associated with acollect-on-delivery transaction and including an electronic record ofthe collect-on-delivery transaction; transmitting a notification, by theprocessor, to a consumer computing device; receiving, by the processorfrom the consumer computing device, an acknowledgement of receipt of thenotification; transmitting, by the processor, the transaction details tothe consumer computing device; receiving, by the processor from theconsumer computing device, payment details; generating, by theprocessor, a payment authorization request message using the paymentdetails received from the consumer computing device; transmitting, bythe processor, the payment authorization request message to aninterchange network; receiving, by the processor, a paymentauthorization response message from the interchange network;transmitting to a carrier mobile computing device, by the processor, afirst payment completion message; and transmitting to the consumercomputing device, by the processor, a second payment completion message.2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transactiondetails include a transaction number and one or more of the following:information relating to the consumer, a delivery address, a deliverydate, an estimated delivery date, a total payment amount due upondelivery, purchased products, and quantities of purchased products. 3.The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein reading themachine-readable transaction code comprises reading, by the processorusing the camera, the machine-readable transaction code printed on thepackage.
 4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein reading themachine-readable transaction code comprises reading, by the processorusing the camera, the machine-readable transaction code displayed to thepayment-on-delivery device via the carrier mobile computing device. 5.The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the payment detailscomprises digital wallet data.
 6. A payment-on-delivery devicecomprising: a camera; a motion sensor; one or more wirelesscommunication modules; a processor; and a memory device storingexecutable instructions that when executed by the processor cause theprocessor to perform the operations of: detecting the presence of apackage carrier via said motion sensor, the package carrier having apackage and a machine-readable transaction code; reading, via thecamera, the machine-readable transaction code; extracting transactiondetails from the machine-readable transaction code, the transactiondetails being associated with a collect-on-delivery transaction andincluding an electronic record of the collect-on-delivery transaction;transmitting a notification, via the one or more wireless communicationmodules, to a consumer computing device; receiving, by one or morewireless communication modules from the consumer computing device, anacknowledgement of receipt of the notification; transmitting thetransaction details to the consumer computing device; receiving from theconsumer computing device, via the one or more wireless communicationmodules, payment details; generating a payment authorization requestmessage using the payment details received from the consumer computingdevice; transmitting the payment authorization request message, via theone or more wireless communication modules, to an interchange network;receiving, via the one or more wireless communication modules, a paymentauthorization response message from the interchange network;transmitting to a carrier mobile computing device, via the one or morewireless communication modules, a first payment completion message; andtransmitting to the consumer computing device, via the one or morewireless communication modules, a second payment completion message. 7.The payment-on-delivery device in accordance with claim 6, wherein thetransaction details include a transaction number and one or more of thefollowing: information relating to the consumer, a delivery address, adelivery date, an estimated delivery date, a total payment amount dueupon delivery, purchased products, and quantities of purchased products.8. The payment-on-delivery device in accordance with claim 6, whereinreading the machine-readable transaction code comprises reading themachine-readable transaction code printed on the package.
 9. Thepayment-on-delivery device in accordance with claim 6, wherein readingthe machine-readable transaction code comprises reading themachine-readable transaction code displayed to said payment-on-deliverydevice via the carrier mobile computing device.
 10. Thepayment-on-delivery device in accordance with claim 6, wherein thepayment details comprises digital wallet data.